The adaptation of metaphors across genres

Semino, Elena (2011) The adaptation of metaphors across genres. Review of Cognitive Linguistics, 9 (1). pp. 130-152. ISSN 1877-9751

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Abstract

In this paper I consider the ways in which a metaphor that was first introduced in an article on pain mechanisms published in Science has been adapted and developed in a selection of texts that can be broadly described as `educational': a neuroscience website aimed at children, a self-help guide for chronic pain sufferers, and a book aimed at medical professionals. In the course of the discussion I point out both the advantages and potential disadvantages of these developments. As such, this paper aims to make a contribution to a growing body of research on metaphor in actual contexts of use, and particularly on variation in the use of metaphor across genres that are aimed at different audiences.